LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 5 million affordable housing units are needed in the United State to make sure there is enough quality living. And a Louisville company is working on 10 properties around the city to help bridge the gap.
LDG Development announced a proposed 10-year plan in 2022 to help the city which is lacking affordable housing. In it's "LOU2.2" housing plan, LDG proposed a "10-year Master Plan to combat homelessness by partnering with Louisville Metro Government and likeminded organizations."
"The LOU 2.2 Housing Plan advances this commitment by providing around 2,200 units of high-quality multi-family homes — 1,300 of which will be reserved for families earning between 30-80 percent of the area median income," LDG said.
Since then, the company has hit the ground running.
"We have four active construction projects in Louisville going on that will produce about 1,000 units of affordable housing," said Christi Lanier-Robinson, executive vice president of LDG.
Most of the affordable options under LDG's umbrella are near downtown Louisville, one of which will eventually take the spot of the Greyhound bus station at 720 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. LDG purchased the property in October 2021 for $2.8 million and plans to build a five-story affordable housing complex called "Grey on Ali."
Around the corner, the former Brown Bros. Cadillac site on Broadway will be a 186-unit market rate complex.
LDG has broken ground on The Eclipse, a 286-unit complex serving working class families at 29th and Magazine streets in the Russell neighborhood. Photo courtesy of LDG Development.
"Concentrating housing in a particular geographic area — while that has been the practice — is not something we support or believe," Lanier-Robinson said.
And in west Louisville, LDG has broken ground on The Eclipse, a 286-unit complex serving working class families at 29th and Magazine streets in the Russell neighborhood.
"(We want to) bring more people down to the Russell neighborhood and allow it to continue it to be revitalized, which is the goal that everyone wants," Lanier-Robinson said.
As part of its plan, LDG said it's committed to tracking five data points associated with its affordable housing initiatives:
- Increased Housing Stability
- Percentage of families who are able to remain in their home (excluding families who relocate due to purchasing a new home).
- Better Educational Outcomes
- Using the Jefferson County Public Schools MAP assessment as a “baseline,” Evolve 502 will provide weekly after school programing at select sites that are focused on boosting academic achievement. Students who successfully complete the program will be given a post assessment to measure improvements in key academic areas.
- Improved Health Outcomes
- Through weekly primary care mobile health clinics, Norton Healthcare will offer primary care services to families living in and around each site. In addition to wellness and prevention services, this mobile unit will also focus on educating residents on preventing and/or managing chronic diseases that are far too common in certain communities.
- Career Advancement Opportunities
- Through a series of partnerships with major employers and organizations, residents can connect to job training programs that can boost their long-term earning potential.
- Legal Guidance
- Through a partnership with several local non-profits, residents will have access to a legal concierge, who can help connect families with resources to address select legal issues they may face.
In it's "LOU2.2" housing plan, LDG proposed a "10-year Master Plan to combat homelessness by partnering with Louisville Metro Government and likeminded organizations." Photo courtesy of LDG Development.
The Eclipse was part of an announcement last year, in which former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer laid out plans for seven projects that will use $40 million in federal funds to add nearly 300 affordable housing units. The units will be specifically held for households at or below 30% of the area median income, or $28,000 per year for a family of four.
Funding for the projects are often aided with tax credits, and LDG works closely with Louisville Forward, the city's economic development Farm.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said he is working to add 15,000 affordable housing units to the city in the next four years, but the demand is twice that.
"It is going to take not only LDG to make that happen but it is going to take other affordable housing developers and other developers to make that happen," said Marilyn Harris, director of Develop Louisville, a division of Louisville Forward. "Everyone is going to have to be in on the game."
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